Locals Only: Joey Campanaro

‘Locals Only’ features notable New Yorkers, innovators and friends of CORE and their chosen neighborhoods. We hope to share the magic and uniqueness of New York City’s local areas through the eyes of those who know it best.

Joey Campanaro was raised in Philadelphia where the food of his childhood inspired him to make cooking his vocation. With a culinary approach firmly rooted in his Italian grandmother’s kitchen and honed in a range of America’s top restaurants, Joey brings a lifelong affinity for Mediterranean cuisine to every dish he creates. In 2004, Joey opened the restaurant he had always dreamed of opening – The Little Owl, which has since received wide acclaim from critics and guests alike, including a two-star review from The New York Times, appearances on everything from Iron Chef America to the Today Show and The Martha Stewart Show, and a continued buzz as one of New York’s most exciting restaurants.

Tell us about your business.
I own a restaurants and an events business focusing on genuine hospitality and seasonal food.

Why did you choose to base your business in the West Village?
It seemed the most manageable from a geographical standpoint, and also lent itself to my bohemian country club philosophy towards hospitality: Give people whatever they want, and make my business about them and not me.

Tell us your 3 neighborhood haunts.
Babbo, Soto, Daddy-o.

What’s your favorite street in the West Village?
Waverly Place.

What do you value here that other neighborhoods don’t have?
History, charm and a story.

What’s one thing that most people don’t know about the West Village?
You don’t need to own a small dog to live here.